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Driver ran over mum as she lay in road
By Joanne Rowe

ON TRIAL: Estate car driver John Rosevere
A DRIVER who ran over and killed a young mum told police he thought he had driven over a pile of rags or a bin bag, a court heard.

John Rosevere said he only realised he had hit Val Sydall after hearing news reports about the accident.

At Bolton Crown Court yesterday, Rosevere, aged 61, of Westland Avenue, Farnworth, denied causing death by dangerous driving.

A jury heard how mother-of-two Miss Sydall, aged 32, had spent the afternoon of December 2, 2006, drinking lager and wine with family at the Market Hotel pub in Brackley Street, Farnworth.

She continued to drink during the evening at the home of her mother Susan Sydall in Westland Avenue.

At 10.15pm Miss Sydall and her partner of four years, Damian Glynn, left the house with their baby daughter Kelsey to walk to their home in nearby Hillside Avenue.







But Miss Sydall was drunk, having consumed more than three times the legal alcohol limit for driving and an argument began with Mr Glynn, the court heard.

Mr Glynn was pushing the pram in Greenhill Avenue and shouted at Miss Sydall, who was following behind, to go back to her mother's house.


DIED: Val Sydall
He did not see Miss Sydall again until he was woken by police at his home and told she had been taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital.

Adrian Farrow, prosecuting, told the court that her pelvis had been crushed, probably by the wheels of Rosevere's Daewoo Nubira estate car. Her injuries were so severe that doctors were unable to save her. After her family arrived at the hospital, her life-support machine was turned off.

The court heard that after the argument with Mr Glynn, Miss Sydall was spotted by several people staggering on and off the pavement at the junction of Greenhill Avenue and Buckley Lane.

On his drive home from his sister's house, Rosevere turned right from Buckley Lane into Greenhill Avenue and spotted an object, which he said he thought was a bin bag or rags, in the middle of the side road. But it was Miss Sydall lying in the carriageway near the junction.

Mr Farrow told the court: "Quite how she came to be there isn't clear."

The front-passenger side wheel of Rosevere's car struck Miss Sydall's body, pushing it a short distance before running over her.

Mr Farrow said: "Mr Rosevere didn't stop driving at any point and Val Sydall was dragged and rolled underneath the car."

A back wheel ran over her again and Rosevere's vehicle mounted a kerb as he continued driving.

Mr Farrow said: "He could have driven around her, but he took the deliberate decision to drive over what he knew was a substantial object in the road."

A short time later two women found the critically injured Miss Sydall in the road and called an ambulance.

The case is contining.

10:15am Tuesday 12th February 2008

Man convicted of killing Bolton mum in collision (Bolton)

A 61-year-old man from Bolton has been found guilty of causing the death of a 32-year-old mother-of-two in December 2006.

John Rosevere (born 03/12/46) of Westland Avenue, Bolton was convicted of death by dangerous driving on Thursday 14 February 2008.

Shortly after 10.30pm on Sunday 2 December 2006 paramedics were called to Greenhill Avenue, just off Buckley Lane in Farnworth following reports that a woman was lying injured at the side of the road.

Valerie Syddall, known locally as Valerie Brown, age 32, of Hillside Avenue in Farnworth, was taken by ambulance to the Royal Bolton Hospital with serious injuries. She later died in hospital.

Valerie had spent that day with her family. Shortly after 10pm she was walking home with her partner when she decided to change her plans and join some of her family at a party at a nearby pub.

She left her partner on Greenhill Avenue, at the junction with Westland Avenue. A short time later she was seen walking at the junction of Buckley Lane and Greenhill Avenue.

Shortly after 10.30pm two women were driving along Greenhill Avenue when they saw what they believed to be rags lying in the road. When they looked closer they realised it was Valerie and contacted an ambulance.

A Home Office post mortem examination carried out after Valerie's death revealed that her injuries had been caused in a traffic collision.

Officers issued a number of media appeals for information about the collision and, following a call to the Bolton News, went to speak to John Rosevere.

When his car was examined it was found to have slight damage to the underside of the front skirting.

Rosevere was arrested in connection with the incident. He was interviewed on several occasions, giving a different account each time. In his final interview he admitted that he drove over Valerie and failed to report the collision. He was charged on 31 May 2007.

Detective Sergeant John Fellowes from Bolton CID said: "Valerie's death has had a devastating effect on her family and her children will now have to grow up without their mother.

"Had Rosevere stopped after the collision, it could have prevented a lot of unnecessary heartache for the family, as well as the local community.

"I hope now that now Valerie's family can take comfort that the man responsible for her death has come to justice, and start to move on with their lives."

Rosevere is due to be sentenced on 14 March 2008.

How sad too, that none of the witnesses didn't offer her any help! Even calling the Police to get her some assistance at least !
I too feel for the driver, but he equally should never just driver over anything.
When I was a kid there was a story about a kid that for fun was in a small barrel type object which rolled down the garden, then into the road - and bang! dead. I think of that when I see things in the road - plus I also (too) want to avoid hitting my car.
To look for the escape route is an art, and so deliberately look away from the object to the 'exit route', - BUT people do 'look where they are driving'. It has been shown/proven, that people have literally chased people up embankments, 'driving where they are looking', without really being aware of it!
So he 'looked' at the 'object' and drove, towards it - he wasn't really thinking at all, and just aimlessly, hit it.
He needed to be made to 'think' and be a responsible driver .... before he chose to drive over it .... still he was probably safe as he was under the speed limit - right !!!!!!